Start and stop mechanism for talking-machines



F. 0. H|NCKLEY.. START AND STOP MECHANISM FOR TALKlNG MACHINES.

APPLIC'ATIQN FILED JULY'I 5, [915' 1,357,:5'60.

rammed Nov. 2, 1920 4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

F. c. HINCKLEY START AND STOP MECHANISMJOR TALKING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 15, 191,5- 1,35 K560. Patented Nov 2, 1920.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

W WWII F. C. HINCKLEY. START AND STOP MECHANISM FOR TALKING MACHINES.

Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

' APPLICATION FILED JULYIS, L915. 1,357,560.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3 Moms F. C. HINCKLEY.

START AND STOP MECHANISM FOR'TALKING MACHINES. 1,357,560.

APPLICATION FILED J ULY I5, [915.

Patented Nov. 2, 1,920.

4 SHEETS-S HEET 4 UNITED. STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK C. HINCKLEY, OF B RI DGEPOR'I, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, T0 COLUMBIA GRAPHOPHONE MANUFACTURING, COMPANY, OF BRIDGE- .PORT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

START AND STOI MECHANISM FOR TALKING-MACHINES.

-' Specificationof Letters Patent.

Application. filed July l5, 1915. Serial No. 40,060.

To all whom z'tgriay concern:

e it known that I, FRANK C. HINCKLEY,

a citizen of the United States of America,

and a resident of Bridgeport, Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Start and Stop Mechanism for Talk-.

ing-Machines, which invention is fully set forth in the following specification.

This invention relates to 'start and stop mechanism, and more particularly to mechanism adapted to automatically stop, and alsopreferably to automatically start, a talking machine. It is designed especially for use in connection withthat class of talking machines in which a tone-arm or other tubular sound-conductor, together with the reproducer, is advanced across the face of a disk record in the act of reproducing said record. With said devices it-is desirable that the machine be automatically started when the operatorplacesthe reproducer and tonearm in position to commence reproduction and automatically stopped when, for anyreason, the .reproducer and tone-arm cease their advance movement across the face of the record. The present invention has for an object the provision of a start and stop mechanism that will accomplish the above ends and, as respects certain features, it is an improvement on the device described and claimed in patent to Woods & Hinckley,

1,264,588, of Apr. 30, 1918..

. Other objects of the invention areto pro-.

vide an improved start and stop mechanism of simplified, cheaper and more efiicient con-- struction, and an improved start-and-stop mechanism and mounting therefor.

The invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, illustrating one embodiment of the inventive idea, and wherein,

Figure 1 is a plan view, .the sound-record and the motor-board being broken away to show the improved start-and stop mecha nism;

. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, corresponding to F 1g. 1; v

Fig. 3 is a section onthe line 33 of Figs 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is a perspectiveyiew of the two fric-' tional washers; Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5. of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows:

tial elements and the connections between one of the same and the tone-arm; u

F'g.7 is a disassembled perspective view of one end of the plunger mechanism and theparts carried thereby;

Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional view through the end of the plunger;

Fig. 9 is a vertical elevation showingthe mounting of the differential elements;

Fig. 10 is a vertical section, partly in elevation and on an. enlarged scale,-showing .one end of the plunger and the mechanism carried thereby in a locked position;

I Fig. 11 is' a plan view showing the device associated with a spring motor;'and

Fig. 12 is a detail perspective.

In the embodiment of the invention shown;

on the drawings, wherein like reference numerals indicate like parts, 15 is a motorboard which preferably is formed in two parts and hinged together, at 16, for a'purpose which will be hereinafter more fully a'p'air of slots that are engaged by a pair of corresponding lugs 22 carried by a second sleeve 23, preferably formed integrally with a toothed sector 24. This sector moves with the tone-arm and operates in. a casting 25,

'which casting is fixedly secured to the flange 19in any suitablemanner, as" by a pair of Patented Nov. 2, 1920. v

screws 26 (Figs. 1 and 2). This casting is provided witha bottom and two side walls, and the top ofsaidrcasting is closed by a cover 27 which is preferably secured in place by screws 28 and 29. 1

The toothed sector 24 meshes with a pinion'30 (see Figs. 3 and 6) fast on vertical shaft 31 having bearings in the cover 27 and the bottom of. casting 25. On the lower end of said shaft 31 is keyed a bevel gear 32 which meshes with a corresponding bevel gear .33 mounted on a stub shaft having bearings in casting 25. This bevel gear 33 has preferably formed integrally therewith a. cam 34, which rotates, through the connections described, when the tone-arm 20 is moved to the position for starting the reproduction of a sound-record, and this cam operates suitable mechanism to effect the starting of the motor, whether an electric motor as illustrated in Fig. 1, or a spring motor as illustrated in Fig. ll.

\Vhen an electric motor is-used, there is preferably employed a plunger 35 carrying a contact piece 36, (Figs. 2and 6) which is adapted to close an electric circuit through terminals 37 and 38 contained in box 39,

function of this lug being to keep the head from turning. '=The head is freely movable inward, the extent of movement being determined by the terminals 37 and 38.

The head 43 is recessed at 46 (Fig. 7) and carries a pin 47 that projects through a stumbler 48 "provided with a flattened face {19 which normally engages the rear face 50 of said'recess 46. This tumbler 48 is pr0- vided with a pair of jaws between which is secured an anti-frictional roller 51 that is engaged by thecam 34. -A spring 52 acts to normally hold the parts inthe ,position shown, in Fig. 8. This mounting of' the "tumbler 48 permits the cam 34 to readily return to its original position when the tone- 5 arm is moved back to its starting position.

In the upper face of the plunger head .43v there is provided a transverse slot 53 provided with inclined walls 54'and 55 (Fig. 10) and a latch 56, pivoted at 57 (Fig. 5) in the casting 25, is adapted to engage in said slot to hold the plunger'in its innermost p0- sition, at which time the electric circuit is completed and the motor running. The

latch 56 is held in the slot 53 by the engagement therewith of a pin 58 provided at its other end with an opening through which passes a stud or shaft 59 having bearings in standards 60 (Fig. 9) in the casting 25. This pin 58 carries a bevel pinion 62 which is loosely revoluble thereon, said pinion being held in place by acollar 63. Pinion 62 meshes continually with apair of bevel. gears 64 and 65, both of which are. loosely mounted on shaft 59.' Said gears 64 and 65 are of the same size, and are adapted to rotate in opposite directions, the gear 64 being rotated by the movement of the tone-arm 20 and the gear 65 being rotated from the motor.

The connections between the gear 64 and the tone-arm are best shown in'Figs. 2, 3, 4, 6 and 9. A suitable friction-drive is interposed between said gear 64 and the tone-arm and, in the form shown, a pair of friction disks 66 and 67 are mounted on shaft 31, said disks being provided with lugs 68 that engage akey-way in the shaft 31, so that said disks always rotate with said shaft. Looselv mounted between said disks on the shaft 31 is \a gear wheel 69. This friction-drive,- among other things, prevents speeded manual movement of thetone-arm .20 from being attended by injurious results and, generally, makes the device fool-proof. The friction connection also allows the-tone-arm to ,be returned to its inltial posltion.

Keyed to said shaft 7 3 is a worm wheel 74 7 that meshes with a worm 75 (Figs. 6 and 9), preferably integrally formed on the shank of the bevel gear 64 which, as heretofore stated, is loosely mounted on the stud 59.

T lie-worm wheel' 74 and the worm 75 constitute what is known as an irreversible gear, and the connection constitutes a one-Way drive; that is to say, worm wheel 74 can drive worm 75, but worm 75 cannot drive worm wheel 74. This insures prompt operation of the stop mechanism upon the stopping of the tone-arm and bevel gear 64. If worm 75 could drive worm wheel 74, the motor would not be stopped until all lost motion or looseness in the gearing between gear 64 and the tone-arm had been taken up.

The power connections between the bevel gears 64 and 65 andtheir respective driving elements are so proportioned that the gear 64 always tends to move faster than the gear 65 which is driven from the motor, and this tendency of said gear 64 to move faster than its companion acts to holdthe pin 58 to its seat and to keep the plunger 35 locked. The tendency of gear 64 to be driven faster than gear 65 is compensated for or taken up by the friction-drive between the tone-arm and said gear 64.

The connections between the motor 76 and bevel gear 65 are best shown in Figs. 1, 5 and 9. Referring to Fig. 1', a worm 76 driven by the motor meshes with a worm wheel 77 mounted on shaft 77 on which is also mounted a worm 78 which meshes with a worm wheel 78 mounted on a stub shaft 79, to one end of which is secured, by a universal joint 80, a flexible shaft 81. The other end of this shaft is provided with a universal joint 82 which carries a plug .83 that projects into a-union 84 and is held therein by frictional engagement. This union also receives-one end of a stub shaft 85 which has bearings in ears 86 and 87 on the casting 25 (Fig. 1). Mounted on said stub shaft 85 is a pinion 88 thatmeshes with a gear 89 (Fig. 5) carried by a stud 90 mounted in the ear 86. Preferably formed integrally with gear 89 is a pinion 91 that meshes with a gear 92, which latter is preferably formed integrally with the bevel gear 65 which, as heretofore stated, is mounted loosely on the stud or shaft 59.

The motor 76 is secured to the motor-plate 15 by any suitable means as screws 92', four of which are shown in Fig. 11. It will be observed that all ofthe mechanism heretofore described is located to the right of the hinge 16, and by means of this construction the motor and all of its associated parts, including the mounting of the tone-arm and the start-and-stop mechanism, may be readily'exposed to view by turning up the part 15 of .the motor-board in the direction of the -arrow 93 shown in Fig. 2. When it'is desired to inspect/the normally inclosed parts, it is only necessary to turn thumb screws 94-Shown in full lines in Fig. 2 and in dotted lines in Fig, 11, and then to elevate themotor-board 15. The motorboard 15, which is preferably of metal, sometimes bows or springs, but the provision of. the

flexible shaft 81 and universal joints-80 and 82 prevents this actionfrom having anyin jurious effect on the mechanism, as by binding or otherwise. 1

The device has heretofore been described ployed in connection with aspi ing motor,

and such a construction is shown in Figs,

"11 and 12. When the device is associated 36 is removed from the end of plunger;

with, a spring motor, the contact member 35,.and one end of a link 95 is suitably'secured to said plunger. The other end of said link is secured to 'one end of an arm 96, the other end of which is fastened to a vertical shaft'97. This shaft 97 has rigidly secured thereto a second arm 98 to which is fastened, in any suitable manner, the carrier 99 for the friction pads 100 which are moved into and out of engagement with the friction disk 101 carried by the governor shaft 102. WVhen the plunger 35 is moved inwardly, the parts are operated to'remove the pads 100 from engagement with the disk 101, and when the plunger 35 is moved in the opposite direction, or toward the right, by spring 42, the pads are moved into braking engagement with the disk 101. a f The operation of the device is as follows: When it-is desired to eifectreproduction of a record, the tone-arm is moved into engagement with the record groove and, by reason of the connections heretofore described, the disk34 which carries the cam on its axis.

projection 34 rotates as said tone'arm is so moved, this rotation causing engagement between the cam face 103 and the roller 51, thereby moving the plunger 35 toward the left in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 6. At the same time, through gear 69, pinion '72, worm wheel 74 and worm 75, the bevel gear 64 is rotated. 'The-motor 76 has not yet started and, accordingly, the rotation of bevel gear 64 effects a rotation .of pinion 62, thus moving said pinion and its associated pin 58 bodily in a clockwise direction (Fig. until the beveled lower end of said pin 58 engages the upper surface of the latch 56 projection'34' is reached, the latch will drop into the slot 53 where it will be held' by the pin 58, and it is at this time that the motor circuit iscompleted and, through the connections heretofore described, the bevel gear '65 commences to rotate in a direction opposite to that of bevel gear 64 The rotation of gears 64 and 65 in opposite directions acts to effect a rotation of the bevel pinion 62 without, however, effecting any displacement ofthis pinion with respect to either gear 64 or 65, the tendency of gear 64 to rotate faster than gear 65 acting to hold the pin- 58 against the left-hand end of slot 58 (Fig. 5). So long then as reproduction is beingeflected, the pinion 62 simply rotates When, however the tone-arm reaches. the end of the record, or stops for "any other reason, the bevel gear 64 will ceaserotating, but the bevel gear 65, being driven from the motor, will continue to rotate.-

Thereupon the pinion 62 (see Fig. 5) will be displaced in an anti-clockwise direction to a position indicated by the. dotted line in Fig. 5, whereupon the spring 42 will cause the plunger 35 to move toward the right, the

latch 56 being cammed out of the slot 53,

motor stopped. If, now, the tone-arn1 is moved back across the record to the starting a position, the disk 34 and the cam projection 34' will be rotated in the opposite direction,

derstood that the invention is not limited to this construction, but that the inventive idea and the motor circuit will be opened and the and the face 104 of the cam projection will f "element, a' movable member connected to and moving therewith, a second movable member driven from the motor, stop mechanism operable upon the stopping of one of saidmembers, and means preventing move ment of said first-mentioned movable member except from the traveling element.

2. In combination, a motor, a traveling element, a movable member connected to and moving therewith, a second movable member driven from the motor, stop mechanism operable upon the-stopping of one of said members, andan irreversible gear,connectionbetween the traveling element and'said first-mentioned movable member preventing the transmission of power from the latter to the former.

8. In combination, a motor, a traveling element, a movable member connected to and moving therewith, a second movable member driven from the motor, stop mechanism operable upon the stopping of one of said members, and a worm wheel driven by said traveling element and meshing with a worm connected to said first-mentioned movable member, whereby an irreversible gear connection is provided.

a. In combination, a motor, a traveling element, a rotatable member 'connected'to and rotated by the movement of said traveling element, a second rotatable member driven from the motor, a third rotatable memberengaged by the other two members, stop mechanism operatively related to said third rotatable member, and means preventing rotation of said first-mentioned rotatable member except from the'traveling element.

5. In combination, a motor, a traveling element, a rotatable member connected to and rotated by the movement of said trai'eling element, a second rotatable member driven from the motor, a hird rotatable member engaged by the other two members, stop mechanism operatively related to said third rotatable member, and an irreversible gear connection between the traveling element and said first-mentioned movable member preventing the transmission of power from the latter to the former.

6. In combination, a motor, a traveling element, a rotatable member connected to androtated by the movement of said travcling element, a second rotatable member driven from the motor, a third rotatable member engaged by the other two members,

stop mechanism operatively related to said third rotatable member, and a worm wheel driven by said traveling element and meshing with a worm connected to said first-men tioned movable member, whereby an irreversible gear connection is provided.

7. In combination,.a*motor, a traveling element, a rotatable member connected to and rotated by the movement of said traveling element, a second rotatable member driven from the motor in the opposite direction, a third rotatable member engaged by the other two members, stop mechanism operatively related to said third rotatable member, and means preventing rotation of said first-mentioned rotatable member except from the traveling element.

8. In combination, a motor, a traveling element, a gear rotated by the movement of said traveling element, a second gear rotated from said motor in the opposite direction to that of said first gear, third gear meshing I with said other two gears and rotated thereby, stop mechanism operatively related to said third gear, and meanspreventing rotation of said. first-"mentioned gear except element, a bevel gear rotated by the m0vement of said traveling element, a second bevel gear rotated from said motor in the opposite direction to that of said first bevel gear, a third bevel gear meshing with said other two bevel gears and rotated thereby, stop mechanism operatively related to saidthird bevel gear, and an irreversible gear connection between said traveling element and said first-mentioned bevel, gear preventing transmissionof power from said gear to said element. 11. In combination, a motor, a traveling element, a bevel gear rotated by the movement of said traveling element, a second bevel gear rotated from said motor in the opposite direction to that of said first bevel-gear, and a third bevel gear meshing with said other two bevel' gears and rotated thereby, stop. mechanism operativelyrelated to said third bevel gear, and a worm wheel driven by said traveling element and meshing with a worm connected to said first-mentioned bevel gear, whereby an irreversible gear connection is formed.

12. In combination, a motor, a traveling element, a' rotatable member connected to and rotated by the movement of said traveling element, a second rotatable member driven from the motor, a third rotatable member engaged by the other two members, stop mechanism operatively related to said third rotatable member, and a yieldable frictiondrive interposed between said traveling element member.

13. In combination, a motor, a'traveling- 'ment and said first-mentioned gear.

14. In combination, a motor, a traveling element, a bevel gear rotated by the move ment of said traveling element, a second bevel gear rotated from said motor in the opposite direction to that of said first bevel gear, a. third bevel gear meshing with said other two bevel gears and rotated thereby, stop mechanism operatively related to said third bevel gear, and a yieldable frictiondrive interposed between said traveling element and said first-mentioned bevel gear.

15. In combination, a motor, stop mechanism therefor comprising a movable element, a tumbler carried thereby, a traveling element, a rotatable cam adapted to engage said tumbler to, displace said movable element, and connections between said cam and traveling element.

16. In combination, a motor, start mechanism therefor comprising a movable element, a traveling element, a rotary cam adapted to engage said movable element to displace the same, and gear connections between said cam and traveling element.

17. In combination, a motor, start mechanism therefor comprising a movable element, a pivoted tumbler carried thereby, a traveling element, a cam adapted to engage said tumbler to displace said movable element, and connections between said travel ing element and cam for rotating the latter in both directions.

18. In combination, a traveling element, a member yieldably driven thereby, a motor, a second member driven thereby, a third member in continuous engagement with said and said first-mentioned rotatable first and second 1nembers,'a stop device, and a detent for said stop device released by said third member upon the stopping of said t-raveling element.

19. In combination, a motor, a traveling" element, a member moved by said traveling element, a second member moved by said motor, a device in continuous engagement with said members, a flexible driving connection between said motor and said second. member, and stop mechanism automatically rendered operative by said device by the stopping of one of said members.

20. Incombination, a motor, a gear driven thereby, a flexible driving connection-intermediate said gear and motor, a'traveling element, a member moved thereby, stop, mechanism, and means in continuous engagement with said gear and member-and automatically effecting the actuation of said stop mechanism upon the stopping of'said member.

21. In combination, a motor, a member r0- tated thereby, a flexible driving connection intermediate said motor and member, atraveling element, a second member rotated thereby, a third member in continuous en gagement with said first and second members, and stop mechanism operatively related to said third member.

22. In combination, a. motor, a traveling element, members respectively rotated by said motor and traveling element, a pivot engaged by said first named members, stop mechanism operatively related to said piv oted member, and a yieldable friction-drive interposed between said pivoted member and the traveling element.

23. In combination, a motor, start mechanism therefor comprising a movable ele-' ment, a traveling element, a cam adapted to engage said movable element to displace the same, and connections between said cam and traveling element including a frictional drive.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. I

FRANK C. HINCKLEY.

lVitnesses:

LoUIs G. LARSEN, JOHN GRAHAM, Jr. 

